The Prince comes home
by TheLastThingYou'llNeverSee
Summary: In an unexpected turn of events the Prince returns home. The love of his Family helps him become what he was always meant to be. An AU-Story that shows how things are never what they seem on the surface.
1. Chapter 1

It was a cool but sunny day in march when his daughter had nagged him to go to a new playground, one she didn't know yet. They apparated to a London suburb and Sirena took off as soon as her feet touched the ground.  
Severus smiled as he watched his daughter charging toward the swingset and sat himself down on a bench, a small picnic basket appearing beside him a second later.  
He retrieved a crumpled up piece of paper from his inside pocket and glowered at it.  
The latest letter from Dumbledore had arrived this morning, urging him once again to take the position as potions professor at Hogwarts. School had let out only a week ago and Severus had already received about twenty letters.

Either the Headmaster was in legitimate, desperate need of a new teacher or he wanted Severus under his thumb completely. Whatever the old man's reasons, Severus would have none of it.  
Sirena was only five, he wanted to be with his daughter, see her grow and devote his time to her. Even five years later, his daughter still felt like a weird dream. Often, after she was in bed, he'd stand in the doorway and watch her sleep, asking himself how a man like him deserved this.  
Actually, Sirena was the reason for the rift between Severus and the Headmaster. When the Potions Master's wife was pregnant, he had told Albus that his days as a double Agent were over. It was just too dangerous and after Sirena's mother had died in childbirth, the decision was made for him.  
He loved teaching, but he wouldn't reconsider until his daughter went to school herself. He had told Albus his decision was final and refused to be intimidated by the old man. And while their relationship remained cordial, they hadn't seen each other since before Sirena was born.  
Come to think of it, the old headmaster didn't even know Severus had a _daughter_. He had never been told. Severus was so lost in thought that he didn't notice his daughter sitting with a dirty, ragged little boy, talking to him quietly. He only looked up when he heard Sirenas voice.

"Leave him alone, you great lump!"

He stood and saw his little girl facing four mean looking boys. A small black haired child was lying on the ground, sniffling and groping for his glasses.  
Severus pulled himself to his full, menacing height and strode over.

"What is going on here?" He glared at the largest boy, smirking inwardly as the little brute shuddered.

"I...well, we were...umm.." The fat boy stuttered, fighting to hold the stare.

"Well?"Severus arched his brow, immensely enjoying the effect it had.

"N-Nothing, sir." The whale of a boy leaned toward the small child who was kneeling behind Sirena.

"You wait till you get home. I'll tell Dad about this." And with that he waddled away as fast as his chubby legs would take him, his friends in tow. Sirena smiled brightly at her father and hauled the the still sniffling boy to his feet.

"It's okay, you don't have to cry any more. He's gone."

"Thank you," the boy replied with a small voice,"and thank you too, sir."

Severus was felling uneasy now, that mop of black hair reminded him of someone. "What is your name child?"

He dreaded the answer. The small boy glanced up at him from underneath his black fringes. Lilys eyes...This child had Lily's eyes. The thought raced through his mind over and over again. He could see her before his inner eye, smiling at him, her emerald eyes full of happiness. He was so perplexed, he'd almost missed the the boys mumbled answer.

"I'm Harry, sir. Harry Potter."

Of all the children in the _world_ his daughter had to go protect James Potters son. He was starting to feel irrational anger swelling inside him when a little voice in the back of his head said '_Lily's son. Not Potters, but Lily's.'_  
He took a calming breath and let his gaze wander over the boy. The bulky, mismatched clothes couldn't hide the fact that the boy was far too thin. He crouched down before him and tilted Harry chin upward with one finger.  
He thought he had seen something odd before his brain went into full stop. The right side of Harry's face was bruised and, barely visible through his black fringes, a long cut was just starting to heal. The expression in the green orbs was one he had never seen on Lily. Frightened and apprehensive.

"Who did this to you, boy?" Severus voice trembled with rage. Looking at Harry was like looking at a younger version of himself. He probably wouldn't have even noticed it five years ago, but having a child made you see many things that previously went unnoticed.

"Nobody, sir. I'm clumsy, fell down the stairs..."

There it was. Severus had heard it many times, had said it many times. The lies, the hope that someone would finally see the truth. He knew it too well. Not caring about the grass and the dirt, Severus sat down.

"Harry, my name is Severus. I'm Sirena's father and I would like to help you. But you have to tell me the truth. Who did this to you?"

Sirena took Harry's hand and pulled him to the ground with her. She didn't let go of his hand but held it with reassuring pressure. Neither Severus nor Sirena questioned him, but just waited. Sitting here with the son of his arch nemesis felt so wrong, but sitting with the son of his best friend felt like the most normal thing of the world. But when he looked the child, Severus didn't see Potter's spawn, nor did he see Lily's boy. He saw a hurt and frightened child, like he himself had been. He saw a lost boy.

"I think it's my fault, sir. My aunt and uncle don't like me much, I'm a burden for them. I try to be good... I really do, but I just can't do anything right." He slowly and timidly began telling them how he had to earn his keep, had to work for scraps of food and Dudley's old clothes.  
About the punishments for his _freakishness._

All the while, the little boy didn't sound really bothered. He was used to this treatment. It would seem that the boy in his tender age was already more jaded than people five times his age. But if one looked closely one could find the faintest traces of hurt in his eyes and voice.

Harry stopped talking abruptly. It was clear that he hadn't planned on revealing so much of his home life.  
Severus realized he had to act quickly before the boy scampered off.

"Sirena, go grab the basket please." Sirena moved quicker than usual. It seemed she was desperate to feed Harry.  
Her father smiled. '_So like her mother..' _The picnic basket was placed next to him and he started pulling out sandwiches, fruit and a big bottle. Plates and cups followed quickly.

"I'll be going. Enjoy your meal" Harry turned to leave when he felt a hand on his shoulder.  
"Harry, how many plates do you see?"

"Three, sir."

"Exactly, for me, Sirena and _you. _Sit and eat with us."

Harry just stared. '_Does he really mean that? Who would want to eat with me?' _"Sir?"  
The man sighed and motioned for the boy to sit. Harry was not sure what to do, but he felt it would be impolite to disobey the man who had helped him. He watched in wonder as a plate was filled with a sandwich, grapes and a banana, and then set before him.

"Eat." the older man directed.  
Still a bit sceptical, Harry nibbled his sandwich.  
"Oh, for the love of Merlin! Eat, boy. I won't take it away and you won't get in trouble. I promise."

Reassured, Harry ate and chatted shyly with Sirena while Severus was left to ponder the boy and his situation.

'_I don't understand this. I've never met this Vernon so I can't say what type of man he is. But the Petunia I remember wouldn't hurt a child, nor stand by and watch abuse. She was jealous of Lily. She wanted to be a witch too. But Lily said that they made up after Hogwarts. Petunia saw Harry as a baby and doted on him. I still have letters and pictures to prove that. What in the nine circles of hell is going on here?!'_

While he was lost in memories, Sirena seemed intend to make Harry throw up. Severus came back to here and now as she was urging him to eat a third sandwich.  
Harry looked queasy but couldn't seem to find a polite way to decline.

"Sirena. I think Harry had enough for now. He told us how little he usually eats, his stomach can't handle this much at once."

Harry looked torn between relief and disappointment. '_Probably wondering when he'll be fed next.' _Harry's next words proved this thought.

"Sir. Maybe I could just take it home? That way I wouldn't waste food." The boy looked at Severus with hopeful eyes. '_That's it! I have to know!' _

The older man skimmed the surface of the boys mind. Flickering emotions and flashes of unpleasant memories. The potions master made a quick decision.

"Harry, I want you to listen to me for a minute. I would like you to come with me and Sirena. I know there's no reason you should trust me, but I know what happens in your home. And I know you don't deserve to be punished for things that are not your fault. You shouldn't have this live. I don't want you to go back to your aunt and uncle's house. And I know your mother wouldn't want it either."

'_Okay, unfair tactic' _ Severus thought as he saw Harry's eyes and mouth open wide in wonder. '_Desperate situations warrant desperate means._

"Sir, you.. You really knew my mum? How?"

"Yes. We were best friends most of our life. We went to school together." That sealed the deal.  
Harry was sure the man said the truth. He didn't know why he was so certain of that, and a part of him screamed not to trust the adult. That part though was quickly silenced by the part that wanted to hear stories about his mum.

Severus knew he'd won. Every self-sufficient child was suspicious and didn't trust adults in general. But the lure of a mother he'd never known, and probably idealized everything he knew about her, was too much for little Harry.  
So when Severus stood, one hand on Sirenas shoulder, and stretched out his other hand to him, Harry took it. The wizard turned on the spot and Harry tried to scream as the playground turned into suffocating darkness.


	2. Chapter 2

HPFFCHP2

Harry ripped his hand away from Severus and started crying. He still couldn't breathe properly and started choking on his tears.  
Someone say "**Anapneo!**" and the boy felt his airways clear instantaneously. He drew a few shaky breaths and started to calm down, though he was still crying.

Severus could have kicked himself but instead settled for slapping his hand to his face. _'Of course! How could I forget he never apparated before. It's official. I'm an idiot!' _

He carefully approached the boy, ignoring the man next to him, and knelt down

"Harry, I'm sorry I scared you. I knew you never did that before but I forgot. Everything is alright. You're safe here and nothing can hurt you." 

"What.. What just happened, sir? What was that? And where.. Where are we?"

The small boy felt overwhelmed and even though he tried to calm down, he couldn't stop shaking. He snuck a glance at Sirena. She seemed worried about him but the crushing blackness hadn't fazed her at all._ 'Stop being such a baby! Sirena's a girl and she's not crying! Stop now!' _

The two men watched as the boy bowed his head, ashamed of his tears but unable to stop them. Sirena embraced her new friend and let him cry on her shoulder until he calmed down somewhat. Suddenly Harry felt _so_ tired. All the excitement of the day had been to much and he collapsed.

Severus caught him just as the door to the room opened.

"What is going on here, love. I heard a child crying and I – Oh dear, Severus what happened?Give him here."

Before he could answer, woman swept the small child into her arms. She carefully cradled the boy to her chest, noting how frail and light he was. When she saw his bruises, she gasped. The blonde turned her big blue eyes on her friend in a silent demand for answers.

"Later. Cissa. I swear, I'll tell you everything. But for now I think he needs to sleep. Could you take Sirena as well?" Narcissa Malfoy, née Black, had spent the better part of her childhood picking up the meaning behind what was being said to her. She understood the veiled dismissal, as well as the reason behind it, and, with a nod of her head, had her god daughter follow her out of the room.

Severus fell into one of the lavish armchairs by the fire and instantly an elf appeared with a tumbler of firewhiskey. He thanked the small creature, downed the burning liquid and requested another one. As soon as his wish had been granted the other man settled into the second armchair nursing his own beverage.

"That bad, huh?"

"You've no idea, Lucius."

Lucius, Lord Malfoy watched him intently for a minute or so and then let his gaze rest on the fire.

"Well, how about you tell me where you stumbled upon the elusive Mr. Potter. Wasn't he supposed to be hidden from the Wizarding World?"

Severus looked old. And tired.

"I found a malnourished and abused boy being tormented by his cousin, who probably weighs more than the two of us combined. I've heard my life's story rehashed by a five year old. But one thing doesn't make sense..." 

Lucius grimaced. He knew what his friend had suffered through in his childhood home. He prompted the younger man to go on.

"Well, Lily and I had that fight that lasted for the better part of fifth year. In the summer after, I couldn't take it any more and went to her house to make up."

"Yes, I know the story so far."  
"Shut up, slick!" The blond man smirked, but complied.

"When she finally forgave me, I was at her house every day and learned that the fight we'd had was the reason she reconciled with her sister. It hadn't been easy but after both of them yelled at the other for hours, they found some common ground and before the summer was out, they were the best of friends again. I have dozens of letters from Lily that tell how much Petunia loved Harry and I have pictures as well. I _know _her. She wouldn't stand by and watch a child get hurt, much less participate, but today Harry told me the exact opposite. I don't understand what happened in five years to change her so."

"Well, I don't know her, Sev, but grief can have many ugly faces. Maybe she blames him for her sisters death?" Severus contemplated that for a moment.

"No.", he shook his head vehemently,"No, she wouldn't take it out on a defenceless child. She wasn't my best friend, I didn't know her like I knew Lily. But I'm absolutely certain she's not capable of that. She's not the type to raise her hand in anger." The dark haired man looked at loss. He was truly and absolutely baffled at what he learned today. 

Lucius steepled his fingers before his face. "Well my friend, let us think. If she's not the person Harry described, there must be something going on that nobody knows about."

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Narcissa swiftly carried her new charge down the halls of Malfoy manor, Sirena in her wake. She could have taken Harry to one of the many guest room, but she needed to talk to her son. She assumed Harry would stay for a while and needed to lay down some rules for the children.  
When she entered her son's spacious room he was playing with some house elves.

_'Ah, pirates again' _she thought with a smile when he turned to her. The little boy was wearing a black felt tricorn and the illusion of a raggedy, smoking beard. When he saw what his mother carried, he instantly stopped playing. 

"Draco, go fetch a pair of your pyjamas please." Narcissa laid Harry down on her son's bed and undressed him. Both children standing at her side sharply drew breath at the sight of the frail boy's body.  
He was covered in grime and bruises.

"Draco, pyjamas. Sisa, get the bruise salve please." While Draco hurried to his dresser one of the house elves popped away and reappeared seconds later carrying a small pot. The blond witch pointed her wand at the unconscious boy "**Scourgify**"  
The grime disappeared and she started dabbing ointment on the various bruises. 

"Mummy, what happened to him?" Draco's eyes were wide as he handed her the pyjamas. He was paler than usual. _'Well what did you expect, Cissa? He never saw what some people are capable of.'  
_

And it was true. She and Lucius tried to shield their son, and by extension Sirena, from all harm, wanting to preserve their innocence as long as humanly possible. She knew of course, that in a world such as theirs, where death is as easy as saying two words, she couldn't keep them oblivious forever.  
But she still tried.  
These children kneeling next to her where so pure, so innocent.  
And now, because of the boy lying on the bed, she had to shatter some of their illusions.

The young woman remained silent, while she dressed Harry and then tucked the covers around him. He was getting restless, apparently not used to the soft touch. Draco suddenly jumped up and ran to the corner where his toys lay. When he returned, the little blonde had a stuffed Hippogriff chick in his hands. He approached the bed nervously, apparently unsure of how to give it to the boy without waking him. He gave the plushie to his mother, who tucked it into the boys arms.

"That was very nice of you, sweetheart." Draco smiled a bit.

"Poofie helps me sleep, so Gary should help him." 

_'I never did figure out why in the name of Merlin that boy called his Hippogriff 'Gary'._ _We don't even know anyone named Gary!' _She motioned for the children to settle down in front of the bed and sat down on the edge of it. She started stroking Harry's hair from his forehead and the boy tensed up for a minute. Then he simply relaxed as the gentle hand continued its ministrations. 

"Listen children, Harry will probably be staying with us for a while. That means that you have to obey certain rules around him. The bruises he had come from his family." Here Draco gasped, looking outraged. Sirena, having heard this before, just looked sad.

"Draco, hush. We don't want to wake him just yet. Now the first rule, no scaring, especially you Draco. I know you like to do that with your friends, but when a child has been hurt like Harry was, it scares easily. You are going to have to be careful around him. Don't suddenly touch him or you might get hurt when his magic defends itself, understood?" The little boy and girl nodded seriously. They liked to be spoken to as if they were adults.

"The second rule is: no prying. Harry will tell you about his home when he is ready. And the last rule for now is the most important. If Harry gets hurt or scared you will call for me or your fathers. If we aren't nearby, call a house elf to fetch us. It may seem silly to you but Harry will not trust us 'Grown-ups' right away. He might try and hide what's bothering him. Can you remember these rules?"

"Yes, mummy. Where will Harry stay?"

"I'm not sure yet sweetie. We'll see" 

Harry had been sleeping peacefully throughout the talk but now he started shivering. He pushed away from the hand stroking him and curled into a small ball. He was whimpering, saying things that sounded like:  
"Please, no more..Aunt Petunia, help me! Please, Uncle.. Please, I'll be a good boy! NO! NO; STOP! PLEASE!" Harry had become louder till he was screaming.

The boy was thrashing around on the bed, sobbing hysterically. Narcissa tried to wake him but he fought off her hands in panic.

"Sisa! Take the Children away! Pookie, get Lucius! NOW!" 

While Pookie just popped away, Sisa gathered Sirena and Draco around her and vanished.

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

Lucius almost dropped his glass, when his wife's elf appeared in front of him.

"Master, you comes quick! Mistress Cissy be needing your help with young Master Harry!" 

Lucius and Severus bolted from the room. Halfway down the hall both men heard the ear-splitting screams. When they burst into the room Narcissa was frantically trying to calm Harry down.

It wasn't working. 

"Please, Severus. Pull him out!" 

Severus place one hand on the child's forehead. Harry tried to get away from the touch but the blonde couple were holding him down on the bed. Severus took a calming breath and allowed himself to be pulled into the nightmare. 

_**Chaos. That was the first thing he noticed. Many different colours flew by, random flashes of light. Then the scene manifested. He was in a sitting room. The colouring of the room was strangely threatening. A fat, huge man was shouting at a small boy. A vein on that monsters temple was throbbing. The boy was crying, beyond hysterical. Then a woman. Petunia. But she looked different. Prettier, more normal. She threw herself between the man and boy. She was shouting too, but aggressive. Behind her the boy curled into a ball. The man rose a huge fist and struck her down. He advanced on the boy. Menacing. **_

_**Fear. Pain. No more..**_

_**Severus reached for the boy, picked him up. The man was coming. Severus drew his wand, shot a spell. Then darkness..  
**_

The dark-haired wizard pulled out of Harry's mind. The boy seemed to be coming to. He jerked awake and looked around frantically. Narcissa pulled him in her arms and he clung to her as he cried. The adults looked at each other, all three at loss for words.

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Later that evening the children were playing in Draco's room under the watchful eyes of Sisa. The adults were sitting across the hall in Narcissa's study. All three of them were holding on to their glasses, the men whiskey and the witch elf made wine.  
They needed it.

Severus had just told the other two what he had seen in the nightmare. Now they had to interpret what they had. 

"What bothers me is the part about his aunt."  
"What do you mean, love." Lucius saw that his wife was on to something. She just couldn't make sense of it yet. 

"Well, Sev told us that the man, Vernon, he was a monster in the boys mind. Huge, imposing and threatening. That I understand. The man beat him, he is a monster. But the Aunt.. In the dream Petunia looked different. Like there was something fading and reappearing over her face, and, in the boy's mind, looked more normal, more herself. But Sev told us that Harry said his Aunt hates him as well. Also after she is struck down she simply vanishes. It just seems.. It looks like we're missing something." 

Severus had also been thinking. He had a few theories but he'd need proof. Listening to Narcissa only confirmed that. He downed the contents of his tumbler and stood. 

"You're right, Cissa. We _are_ missing something. And now we'll go find some answers."

Lucius and Narcissa stood as well summoning their cloaks.

"Splendid!" The blonde man exclaimed. "Late-night house call!"


	3. Chapter 3

HPFFCHP3 –Late Night House Call

Vernon and Petunia Dursley were blissfully unaware of the late-night visitors they would be receiving soon. Vernon was currently caught up in his favourite past-time – ranting about his freak of a nephew.

"Honestly, Pet, I should have never allowed you to take the boy in. You saw Dudley when he came back, utterly terrified! That little freak has been spouting of lies! I swear, when he comes home, I'll teach him not to mess with this family! Petunia, close the windows! If the freak wants to sleep inside he should come back in time!" 

During his usual rant, Petunia Dursley simply tuned her husband out. She heard these things everyday, could probably recite them. But at the last part her head jerked up _'Lock the boy out? In mid-march?!'  
_

"Vernon, I know you-..We don't like the boy. But it's cold and raining. He'll freeze to death. Maybe he got lost, he's only five after all." 

"NO, PETUNIA! I TOOK IN YOUR SISTER'S SPAWN, I FEED HIM AND PUT CLOTHES ON HIS BACK AND HE WILL OBEY MY RULES! HE STAYS OUTSIDE AND THAT'S IT!" Vernon's face was starting to turn puce and he had this deranged glint in his eye. Petunia knew she had to shut up now or he would take his foul mood out on her. 

"_I'll just wait till he's asleep and open the window in the basement. He always _forgets _that one. Why am I even so afraid of his yelling? I didn't used to be, did I?" _Petunia grimaced as a sharp pain shot through her head, but shrugged it off. She would start cleaning her kitchen, that would keep her busy until Vernon finally went to bed. But her thoughts continued to stray back to the small boy who was still missing and the sudden headaches she was getting all the time.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

The moon was swallowed up by a cloud as three hooded figures materialized out of thin air on the very end of Privet Drive. As they set down the street the fierce wind ripped at them and tore down the hood of the smallest in the group, exposing a sheet of long, silvery blond hair.

The two Malfoys and Severus Snape had left the children in the care of the house elves and decided to find out what exactly was going on in 4 Privet Drive. 

The fact that Severus remembered the address from Lily's letters and was able to pass it on to his friends told them the house wasn't under the Fidelius Charm. Because of that, they expected wards. Narcissa Malfoy had come along just for that. Dismantling wards was her speciality.

They carefully approached the house and cast detection charm to figure out the boundaries. Sev and Lucius started to work an anti-detection ward over the wards in place, so the ministry wouldn't pick up on any magic performed here.  
Narcissa was already in place doing some very complex wand movements to discern what they'd be faced with.

When she was done her face became stony, her jaw clenched.

"What is it, love?" Lucius knew this look well, knowing it usually meant an angry rant directed at him.

"Dumbledore is either a fool, or he wants Harry Potter killed." The two men looked dumbstruck.

"What do you mean, Cissa?" Severus hardly dared to ask. 

"What I mean, Severus, is that the _only _protection Harry had is a blood ward. They are notoriously fickle, allowing only those who don't wish to harm the boy through. Which sounds good, but actually doesn't mean anything. I could get the boy out, with no intent to harm him whatsoever and then have someone else kill him." Narcissa was starting to rant now, her voice getting louder all the time.  
"But all that is not important, because the blood ward IS NOT ACTIVE!" She almost shouted out the last word, and both men were thankful for the silencing ward they erected earlier. Then, it struck them. 

"What do you mean, not active?", Lucius spluttered while Severus swore loudly. "That senile heap of dragon-" 

Narcissa just swept away from them and called over her shoulder.  
"Come. It is time to find out the truth." She strode up to the door, unlocked it and entered before either man behind her even thought to move.

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The inside was completely dark but the sound of Vernon's snoring rang through the silent house. Narcissa looked at the small sitting room, well, small for her standards.

There were pictures everywhere, but none of them showed that two boys lived in the house. Everything in the room was spotless yet didn't seem homely, but rather cold and distant. 

She turned back into the hallway and walked up the stairs, the two men in her wake. They passed the child's room and headed straight for the master bedroom. Once inside, Sev shut the door and cast the Muffliato on it. On the huge bed lay the biggest man any of them had ever seen. His wife was hardly visible next to his bulging form. Lucius immobilized them and stepped back.

"So... now what?" Severus walked around the bed to Petunia's side and simply looked at her. _She seems so... different. This is not the Tuney I remember. Can a person really change so much in 5 years?  
_

"I don't know. This is not the woman I remember. I can't really place it but something is off about her." Lucius came closer and examined Petunias face from various angles. Both their faces were only inches apart when he hissed softly.

"Lucius what is it dear?" The blonde man straightened up and turned towards them.

"She has been placed under a Glamour Charm." Severus swore softly while Narcissa's eyes went wide.  
"Cissa cast a Detection Charm. I know there's a Glamour and I would bet anything, that it's not the only thing on her. Also, I couldn't discern a clear signature but my money is on Dumbledore. He was the only one who officially knew where Harry Potter was."

Narcissa moved to the bedside and wove her wand in the air as if directing an orchestra. The men stood back and kept silent so to not disturb her concentration. Lucius watched her apprehensively. _It's not a good sign that she's taking so long.  
_When her movements ceased Sev stepped forward

"Cissa? What did you find?" 

But Narcissa didn't answer. She just gazed down at the horse-faced woman on the bed.

Lucius pulled his wife away from the bed and turned her towards him. She looked up to him but didn't really seem to see him.

"Narcissa? Talk to me." He shook his wife's shoulder and she snapped back to reality. Her voice was shaky and weak when she answered. 

"I... I don't even know where to begin. He... Dumbledore destroyed her life!" 

"What do you mean? Narcissa what did he do?" She turned towards him, her face pale and tears shone in her eyes. "Oh Sev, it's awful.. She-She is a witch!" 

"WHAT?!" Both men were dumbstruck.

"But how?" Lucius couldn't believe it. "She was older than Lily. Why wasn't she at Hogwarts?" 

"I don't know yet, love. There are many charms on her and a magical block. I can disable the Tracking Charm now, but for the rest we will have to take her with us. It will take me hours to undo." 

"Hours? Cissa you're slacking," Allthough he wasn't really in the mood for jokes, he could never resist teasing the prim and proper Mrs. Malfoy, even know.

"You can go and shove your sarcasm somewhere else, Sev! I found a Memory Charm, if I'm not careful, I could do permanent damage to her." 

"All right you two. We'll take her with us. What of the other two?" Lucius felt uncomfortable in the small, muggle house and it showed. Severus made a quick decision.

"We'll take the boy and leave the whale here for now. We can always come back for him later." 

"Okay, Cissa grab the child, I'll take her. We'll take them to the guest rooms." 

After the slim blonde stepped into the hallway, Lucius turned to the great lump on the bed. He stood there for a minute, contemplating the man, then tilted his head to the right. With a sly smile he waved his wand and all of Vernon's hair fell out, even his moustache slid off his face.

"Really, Lucius? Baldness? That's the worst you can think of?"

"It's the worst thing that can happen to a normal man. Not that you're normal, of course."

"Stop smirking, you prat. Grab hold of Petunia so we can get out of here." 

The grin on the blonde man's face made him look years younger when he closed his hand around the sleeping woman's upper arm. With a crack both men apparated away, followed by Narcissa seconds later.

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The guest rooms of Malfoy Manor were beautiful grand spaces. Now a group of five appeared out of thin air. A black haired man, a blond couple and an unconscious woman, who was held by the two men and a boy floating in mid-air, snoring softly.

The woman was laid down on the bed and the boy drifted down next to his mother.  
Narcissa drew the covers over both of them and ushered her husband and friend out the door.

"What now Cissa? Do you want to start right away?"

"No, not right away. I want to check on the children first. It's late and we have to put them to bed. I'm not sure what to do with Harry though." 

"Well.. let's check on them first and ask Harry where he wants to sleep." 

Severus was unsure himself. Sirena never had night terrors but Harry might get them. Nobody wanted to repeat the episode they had witnessed earlier.

The three adults strolled towards Draco's bedroom, quietly talking amongst themselves.

When they got closer to the room, the first thing they noticed was the very suspicious silence.  
Stepping inside, they saw why.  
In the middle of the room the children had erected a pillow fort that looked so unstable, all three grown ups knew the house elves had had a hand in building it.  
Inside the children were barley visible, all tangled up in pillows and blankets.

Harry was in the middle and both Draco and Sirena had their arms around him. It was heart warming. Narcissa had tears in her eyes at her little boy's protectiveness. It had only taken a few hours for the three of them to become friends. The two house elves, Sisa and Poofie, sat near by and had been whispering with each other but had stopped when their masters stepped in. 

"Mistress Cissa, Master Lucius. The young Master and his friends has been sleeping for one hour. We has told them it is time for bed, but little Master Harry is not wanting to sleep. Master Draco said to build the pillow castle so they could be sleeping together."

Poofie took up where Sisa left off. "We hopes Master and Mistress isn't angry. But Little Master Harry is not wanting to sleep. Little Master is crying when Master Draco ordered us." 

Lucius smiled at the children all holed up with blankets and plushies. "It's all right. You did well and can go now. We'll let them sleep like this for now."

The two elves bowed and popped away.

Severus, Narcissa and Lucius stood there watching their children sleep peacefully. Harry looked content and it was then that the adults decided the child would stay with them. They knew what this meant. They knew the possible dangers; knew, that they'd have to hide the boy in plain view. But it didn't matter.

Harry deserved a happy childhood and they vowed that he would have it.


	4. Chapter 4

**HPFFCHP4 – Discoveries/Dumbledore is a douche**

The next morning came bright and sunny. The blue sky promised a beautiful day and it would be Harry's first day in a magical household.  
Lucius and Severus came to wake the children and found them already up and playing. Draco and Harry were besieging Sirena in her pillow fort, each of them directing an army of plushies.

For a few minutes the two men watched the children, who were too caught up in their game to notice. It was Harry who saw them first. When he noticed the two adults, his plushies dropped dead and his whole demeanour changed. Ignoring the amazing accidental magic, both men sat down on the floor. Sirena and Draco had noticed their fathers and scampered over to climb on their laps. Harry still stood there, head down and hands by his side. 

"Harry, I didn't get the chance to introduce myself yesterday. My name is Lucius Malfoy. I am Draco's father. You're in my house now and Severus and I think you should stay for a while. Would you like that?" 

"I.. I can.. You really want me to stay?" Harry's eyes shone brightly and his lip quivered. He finally had friends and they really wanted to play with him. Harry had been wondering how long he would be able to stay with them. Draco had fun toys and they even did what _he_ wanted.  
And last night when Harry didn't want to go to sleep it had been Draco who suggested they build a fort so they could all sleep together.

Yes, he wanted to stay and he was more than happy to earn his keep.

_I don't think they expect me to clean the whole house, maybe a few rooms or the garden? And if Draco's room is this big, their broom cupboards must be huge!  
_

"I'd like to stay, sir. If you'd let me, I'd like to stay. I can work, sir, and I promise I won't be a burden. Maybe I could clean Draco's room or do the gardening? I can cook, too, so … I'll be good I promise!" The small boy looked up with hopeful eyes and found four pairs staring back at him, two confused and two incredulous.

Severus was the first to compose himself. 

"Harry.. You don't have to work here. What gave you an idea like that? Lucius has House Elves to do work around house and Draco cleans his own room if he makes a mess. If you stay here, you'll have to keep your room clean and listen to me, Lucius and Narcissa, and the House Elves. That's all."

"But, sir... I... I have to earn my keep. My uncle says keeping a freak is expensive and that I..." The dark-haired child trailed off, because a vein on Severus' temple started throbbing. Lucius saw the warning signs and knew his friend would start shouting profanities any minute. 

"Harry, forget everything your uncle said. He lied. I invite you stay at my home and you don't have to do anything for it. I want you to stay here and be a normal child. You can play, attend lessons with Draco and Sirena. You'll have your own room, your own toys and you won't have to 'earn your keep'. I swear it Harry, my wife and I want you here and Sev wants you to stay as well. We will be your family if you want us to." 

"My.. my family? You really mean that? My own room? I don't... I don't have to sleep in a cupboard? And I can have toys?" 

"A CUPBOARD!" Severus stood up so violently, Sirena would have fallen if Lucius hadn't grabbed her. Harry flinched but Severus already stormed through the door, growling like a irate bear. Lucius was torn between laughing at his friend and shouting in frustration at what Harry had revealed. Then he saw the look on the frail boys face and knew he had to do damage control. 

"Don't worry child. You didn't do anything wrong. Severus is just angry that you had to sleep in a cupboard." 

Before Harry could answer, Draco piped up suddenly. Lucius almost flinched, his son had been so uncharacteristically silent, his father had almost forgotten he was there. 

"Father, I'm hungry. Can we eat breakfast now?" Lucius stood up and placed Sirena on his shoulders. "Of course, son. Let's go eat." He took the blond boy's hand and offered the other one to Harry, who smiled timidly and took it.

"Father, where's Mother?"

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Narcissa had gone to the guest wing at the crack of dawn. She ordered a pot of strong tea and told a House Elf to take Dudley to another room and stay there with him. With all that done, she locked the door and stepped to the bedside, wand poised. 

_I'll start with the Compulsion Charms, then the Glamour Charm. After that I'll wake her and go on from there. If I'm honest, I do want to know what she really looks like. Her sister was a beauty but she looks like a horse.  
_

And with that thought she started to work. The Compulsion Charm was layered and it took a while to remove it but after about half an hour a nasty purple shimmer left the woman on the bed and Narcissa knew it was done. The glamour Charm was just as intricate but not layered. It took only five minutes to undo.  
Apprehensively Narcissa watched the golden shimmer melt away. The woman on the bed wasn't pretty, definitely not as angelically beautiful as Lily had been, but classically handsome. Thick, shiny blond hair, not silver like Narcissa's, but golden, and clear, defined features. Her entire appearance was changed, and if Narcissa hadn't seen it happen with her own two eyes, she would have never recognized Harry's aunt.  
Narcissa sat down in an armchair near the fireplace and sipped a cup of the still hot tea. She decided to wait until Petunia woke on her own. While she waited, she planned how to progress. 

_The first step will be to remove the Memory Charm and then the Magical Block. But first she'll want to know where she is and how she got there. Now that the Compulsion Charms are gone she should be, well, not nice, given the circumstances, but at least she should listen to what I have to say. And as soon as the Memory Charm is lifted, she should remember her life before Lily died. That should bring us all some answers.  
_

Narcissa was so deep in thought she did not notice Petunia stirring. Then she heard her groan. The blonde witch sprang from her chair and hurried over to the bed. 

"Careful, Petunia. Get up slowly." Narcissa helped the dazed woman into a sitting position.

"What... What happened? Did I fall? Where am I?" She looked around the strange room. When her eyes landed on Narcissa, Petunia froze.  
"Who are you? Did you bring me here? What is happening?" 

"Petunia, please, calm down." Narcissa got a cup of tea and put it down on the bedside table, then sat down on the edge of the mattress.  
"Please, drink the tea and listen. A few things have happened and we need to talk. I came to your home yesterday night with my husband and my friend." 

"I don't remember you coming to my house. Were was I?" Petunia interrupted.

"You were asleep in your bed." Narcissa smiled lightly, despite the situation.

"You broke into my house?! Where is my son?" Petunia made efforts to get out of bed, but she was pretty dazed.

"Please Petunia, stay calm. Your son is here. I put him in another room, because we need to talk. He's fine, I promise. He's probably still sleeping. Drink your tea before it gets cold. And listen please." Petunia looked like she wanted to argue, but thought better of it and took the steaming cup.

While the other woman busied herself with the tea, Narcissa was trying to find a way to begin. After a few minutes of terse silence she decided to simply plunge right into her explanation. She told Petunia of why she had gone to their house and all that happened before that. When she told Harry's aunt of his nightmare, Petunia's eyes went wide and she slapped her hand in front of her mouth. 

"Where is Harry? Is he all right? Oh, I can't..." As soon as she'd asked about Harry's well-being, her now pretty face scrunched up in pain and her hands flew up to her head. Narcissa jumped to her feet.  
"What is it? What happened?"

"Oh, these.. headaches. I get them all the time.. They come like.. they're here in a flash, and go just as suddenly. I don't know why." Narcissa knelt on the mattress and put her hands on Petunia's shoulders. She had a horrible suspicion.  
"Petunia, think! Do these headaches come when you think about Harry? Do they have a pattern?"

"Oh, I can't... It hurts! Do something!" Petunia was white as a sheet and grinding her teeth together.

"I promise, I will help you. But I need you to try and think. You've had these headaches before. Did they come when you think about Harry?" Narcissa's face was as pale as Petunia's now. 

"I- I don't.. I-.. Yes. When I think about him, it hurts. Please, do something. MAKE IT STOP!" The pained woman clawed at her hair, her face contorted in agony. Narcissa stepped back, pulled her wand and, "**Stupefy!**" 

Petunia collapsed on the bed, unconscious, but Narcissa knew the pain was still there, even if there was no visceral reaction. Apparently a stinging hex was embedded into the Memory Charm, coded to activate whenever she thought of Harry. She'd have never thought of it, but with all that she had removed on this woman so far, it shouldn't really surprise her.  
Narcissa's wand-hand flew through the air in intricate patterns and her eyes were hard and focused. It was an hour of hard work, peeling the Memory Charm apart and obliterating the different layers. But finally it was done. Each layer had shattered apart visibly and their had been over thirty layers to the Charm.

_I have to hand it to the old codger, the Memory Charm was perfect. If I weren't as good at this as I am, I couldn't have lifted it.  
_

"Sisa!" The House elf materialised next to her and bowed low.  
"What can Sisa do for Mistress Cissa?" 

"Go and get Severus. Tell him the Memory Charm was lifted and I'd like him here when she wakes." Sisa bowed deeply once more and popped away.  
A few minutes later Severus entered the now unlocked room and found Narcissa sitting on the bed, looking exhausted. Then he saw Petunia and his features froze for a split second. _She looks like... No. That's not possible!  
_He composed himself quickly and turned to the other woman in the room.

"You worked wonders Narcissa. Is there anything still to do?"

"The only thing left to remove, is the Magical Block. I'll have to leave it for another day. It's a difficult process and I can't focus any more." Narcissa was still very pale and looked like she'd fall asleep any minute. Severus brought her a cup of tea and made her drink. When she had finished, she looked up at her friend and smiled.

"Where are the children?" Severus stated simply. He was still rather distracted by Petunia's changed appearance.

"Lucius decided to take Harry on a tour of the gardens when I came here. Draco wanted to show his new friend the Pegasi. But what now? Should we wake Petunia?"

Narcissa got up and stretched. "Yes, lets. But she will be confused and disoriented. I wanted you here, because she knows you. You got on well, right?"

"Yes. We weren't best friends, but we got along all right after she and Lily became friends again. Let's wake her up and see how she reacts."

Narcissa pointed her wand at the sleeping woman and said "**Rennervate**"

Slowly, Petunia started to stir, she groaned and put her hand to her forehead.

Narcissa leaned over the woman and asked compassionately:  
"How are you feeling, Petunia? Do you still have a headache?"

She helped her sit up and lean against the carved headboard. Petunia groaned again.

"No, the headache is gone. I feel a little light-headed though. What did you do?" She looked up at Narcissa and then her gaze landed on Severus. Blue eyes locked on to black ones. Severus and Petunia looked at each other and it seemed like time inside the room stood still. For several long minutes, they simply stared at each other and then Petunia's eyes went wide. 

"Severus? What are you doing here? It's been 6 years." Severus came closer and sat on the edge of the bed.  
"Liz, please concentrate. What do you remember about Lily?" Petunia sat there, looking at him a bit perplexed. Trying to remember something that had been hidden by a Memory Charm was difficult. 

"When you two were fifteen... Lily came home for the summer and I.. I asked her where that 'Snape kid' was. You two were always stuck together. And then we fought like never before. We yelled at each other for _days_. But then we, we said the same thing simultaneously. We were in the living room with Father and Mother. They had tried to get us to talk rationally but that didn't go too well. We started shouting and at the same time we yelled: _You don't know a thing about me! _And then, there was silence. We just stared at each other and then we started laughing. It was... so surreal. But I just couldn't be mad any more and neither could she. We sat in my room for hours and just talked. It was strange, we really didn't know anything about each other any more. I remember when she had Harry, such a cute little boy. And then, that night... Harry was laying on our doorstep and Vernon was furious. And there was a letter. Only a letter telling me my sister was murdered!"

Tears ran down her face as Petunia tried to compose herself. Severus took her hands and when she felt the reassuring pressure, she smiled at her old friend. Narcissa was standing behind Severus and was smiling down at the pair but she thought about everything Petunia had said.  
_So she remembers the fight, she remembers Sev and she remembers the letter. Which means the letter wasn't charmed. That must mean..._

"Petunia," Narcissa said, "I know it's difficult and probably painful, but try to remember what happened after you got the letter."

"It's all still blurred, but let's see. Lily's owl Archimedes was there. She had sent me a letter the day before but I hadn't replied yet. I wrote a letter to Dumbledore. I wanted an explanation. I wanted to know what happened to my sister. I waited for a reply, but none came. Then, a week later, Dumbledore showed up at my doorstep completely unannounced. Vernon didn't like the idea of him coming in but Dumbledore ignored him. We talked in the kitchen and I asked him a few times why my sister died but I never got a straight answer. When he asked for a cup of tea I got up and turned my back on him. Suddenly I felt a prickling at the back of my neck. I whirled around to face him and saw his wand slashing towards me and… and that's it. That is the last thing I remember. He- what did he do to me?" 

"That is a long sad story." Severus sighed. Narcissa put her hand on his shoulder and beckoned for Petunia to follow her. She led the others to a small table in front of a big window.  
"Let's sit down and have something to eat. You must be hungry, Petunia, and I haven't eaten anything yet either."

After they sat down, the lady of the house called for Sisa. The little Elf popped next to the table and made Petunia almost jump from her chair.

"Sisa is very sorry if she has scared Missy Petunia." Sisa bowed before Petunia then Narcissa.  
"What can Sisa do for Mistress Cissa?"

"We'd like some breakfast and another pot of tea please. Severus have you eaten?"

"Yes, with the children."

"All right. Sisa, breakfast for two." Sisa popped away and seconds later the table was filled with pancakes, eggs, bacon, toast and fruits, as well as tea and orange juice. Both Petunia and Narcissa filled their plates while Severus fixed three cups of tea. After he set the cups in front of the two women, he rested his chin on his hand and went on to explain what had happened to Petunia. 

"Liz, you asked what he did to you. It's not pretty and it will probably come as a shock to you. I ask you to try and listen and not to interrupt me, as it's not easy to tell you." Petunia nodded and nibbled at her toast.  
"Okay, there is no easy way to say this: Dumbledore placed a Memory Charm on you and made you forget that you ever made up with Lily, he made you forget that you loved Harry when he was a baby and that we became friends." Petunia had dropped her slice of toast and downed her tea before filling her cup again.

"Narcissa told you why we came to your house yesterday. We cast a Detection Charm on you. We found the Memory Charm as well as a Compulsion Charm, to modify your behaviour. It made you stand by as Vernon abused the boy and it caused these sharp pains whenever you thought about his well-being or showed compassion. We... We also found a Glamour Charm. This spell changes your appearance." 

"Wait... WHAT?" Wordlessly Narcissa conjured a Mirror out of thin air and handed it to Petunia. She stared at her reflection for a few minutes and muttered to herself, in a bitter,yet amused tone.

"I asked myself so many times how Lily could be so beautiful when I looked like a horse. My father always said Lily looked so much like our mother and although he never said it, I knew he was upset that I didn't. They always told me what a cute child I was and that they couldn't understand why I'd changed so much. Why would someone do that to me... It's stupid, of course, judging looks so highly."

Narcissa reached over and took the other woman's free hand and smiled at her. "It's neither stupid nor vain, Petunia. Glamour charms cover up who you you are, even from yourself, but something always feels off. You felt it. Not everyone can. But now you're back to normal again. Back to how you were always meant to be." Both woman smiled at each other.

"You were so kind to me and I don't even know who you are."

"Don't worry about it. You had more than enough on your mind. My name is Narcissa Malfoy. Severus brought Harry here to my home yesterday and my husband, Lucius, and myself wanted to find out what was going on. Now you're in a guest room in my home and you and your son can stay as long as you like. But we can talk about this later. We still have on more thing we have to tell you."

"Yes. One last thing..." Both woman looked at Severus again.  
"Liz, I'm so sorry. We found on last spell on you. This one was also placed when you were a child. We don't know why, but we found a Magical Block." 

Petunia looked from one to another. "I don't know what that is."

Narcissa took a deep breath.

"A Magical Block is a way to block a magical core. It.. It was placed on you to conceal the fact that you are a witch like Lily was.."

Petunia's tea cup shattered with a loud crash.

"I'm a witch? No, I.. I wrote to Dumbledore when Lily got her letter. He..-He said he's very sorry but I can't come to Hogwarts because I'm not magical. He _lied!_ Does this mean I could have gone?" Severus looked enraged when he said

"It _was_ Dumbledore who placed the block on you. Until we find out why, you should stay here with your son. We can't let him get his hands on you or Harry a second time."

With a forlorn expression Petunia asked the other two "So, this is it? I've missed my chance to be a witch?" 

"No!" Narcissa had a wild fury in her blue eyes that made them look like steel in sunlight. "No, you haven't. I promise, as soon as we've lifted the block, we will get you a wand and I will teach you. You _are_ a witch. The old fool tried to change that but he might as well try to turn the sky green. You were born a witch and you will die a witch."


	5. Chapter 5

**AN: So sorry for being absent for such a long time! I had run out of ideas with this fic, but I never gave it up, I promise! I had focused a lot more on my F:NV fic "Si vis pacem" But that's taking a lil break now and I plan on writing more Harry Potter. **

**Now, enough rambling and on with chapter 5!**

Chapter 5 - All that we see or seem...

Harry was having the time of his life. They had eaten breakfast with Draco's and Sirena's fathers and he had been allowed to order whatever he liked from the House Elves. The blueberry pancakes and the bacon sandwich had tasted great! And then suddenly Severus had to go somewhere. After they had eaten, Draco wanted to show Harry the Pegasi out in the Gardens.

"You'll love them, I promise. We have white ones and black ones and grey ones. And soon, Sirena and I will get one, isn't that right, Father?"

"You're getting ahead of yourself son." Lucius patted Draco's head while they walked towards the stable, "I said you can have one, when you're old enough to ride them. That will be a few more years yet. You will have to learn to ride a normal horse before you can handle one with wings. That means you too, Harry."  
The dark-haired boy looked up at the man. "You mean, like a real horse?"

"Of course. Draco and Sirena were supposed to start their riding lessons this summer. We have more than enough horses."

Harry smiled and when Draco challenged him to a race both boys ran ahead while Lucius followed, with Sirena's hand in his. Lucius summoned a house elf to take a picture of the two boys running around and whooping with glee.

"Iwa, follow us around to take pictures of Harry's first day here." The small Elf bowed, "Yes, Master Lucius.", and popped away.

"Mr. Malfoy, Mr. Malfoy! What are these for strange birds?" Harry had run back with wide eyes.

"These are albino peacocks, Harry. A peacock is a vain bird, usually they have brilliant green, gold and blue plumage, but these are completely white. Peacocks were the sigil of the goddess Hera. She was the goddess of marriage. She chose the peacock as her animal because they choose one partner for their whole live."

Harry was listening intently. He loved to learn new things. "Is that why you have peacocks, too?" Lucius laughed.

"No, child. A long time ago, people said we Malfoys are as vain as peacocks. Instead of being upset about that, my ancestor, Valeran Malfoy, decided to buy a whole flock of white peacocks to show the world that we don't care what other people say about us."

"But why white peacocks? Aren't the ones with colour prettier, Sir?" The older man smiled. It seemed that Harry was comfortable around him if he was asking so many questions.

"What colour is my hair?"

Harry looked puzzled for a second, then he grinned. "Oh, now I get it! That's clever, Sir."

Lucius mussed up the boy's hair.  
"Thanks. But you don't have to call me Sir or Mr. Malfoy. You can call me Lucius. Or, like Sirena, Uncle Lucius if you like."

"I could really call you uncle?" Harry eyes were wide as saucers again. He liked Mr. Malfoy, but he didn't understand why all the grown-ups here were so nice to him. _The only person who was ever nice to me, was Aunt Petunia, well, sometimes.._

"Of course you can", Lucius interrupted his train of thought, "We are related after all."

"We are?" If Harry's eyes didn't go back to normal soon, they might just fall out.

"Yes, we are. It's complicated. I'll have to explain it another time. I'll show you a family tree and then you'll understand it better. Now, run along. Draco has been waiting very patiently for us to finish." The boy looked like he wanted to argue but then just ran off with a last inquisitive look to his new friend's father. This time he was closely followed by Sirena. It was still a few yards to the stable and the children were playing tag on the dirt road. They did not notice the Elf snapping a picture of their joyous playing.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

All four of them didn't notice the three people watching them from a manor window.

"I'm so glad Harry is all right. I was worried about him, when he didn't come home last night. When can I see him? And Dudley?" Petunia couldn't seem to look away from the children playing outside.

"Soon. We still have some things to discuss. Let's sit down again." When they had settled themselves at the table. Petunia smiled at Severus.

"The little girl is yours, right? She is beautiful."  
Severus smiled, not his usual snarky grimace, but a real smile. It made him look years younger.

"Yes, her name is Sirena. She's about Harry's age."

Narcissa jumped in before Petunia asked something that would bring back bad memories.

"Well, I think tonight at dinner we'll all eat together. Then we can see how well Harry reacts to you. We know that you had been charmed to treat him badly, but I'm not sure if he will understand that. He might be afraid of you, but in the nightmare we witnessed you looked just as you do know. Apparently the Glamour faded in certain situations. But he also told us how awful your son was to him. I hope you understand that we can't tolerate him bullying Harry. Or the other children for that matter." Petunia sighed.

"Yes, of course. Every time I tried to actually raise my son, Vernon interfered. He hated Harry with a passion I never really understood. He always spoilt Dudley and whenever I tried to punish him or make him do chores, Vernon just let it go. If we really can stay here for a while, I should be able to sort him out." Sev grimaced.

"That's not going to be easy, Liz. You're going to have to re-raise a six-year-old."

His best friend's sister grinned impishly. "Oh, I bet you'll be willing to help me with that, Severus. But don't worry, I'll teach him how to behave." Narcissa fixed herself a new cup of tea and laughed lightly.

"Don't worry Petunia. If you'll let us, my husband and I are more than willing to help. My son, Draco, is no bully but he can be an arrogant little berk sometimes. We are used to dealing with bad behaviour. On another note, we have to make plans. You can't stay in the hidden manor forever and we have to decide what measures to take to keep your and your son's identity a secret. And Harry's of course. You can stay like you are. The Glamour had been placed when you were a child and whoever did that, won't know what you truly look like as an adult. But with Harry it's difficult, especially with the scar. It would be so much easier to use blood magic. But you are the only one left who's related close enough and it would take far too long until you are ready to use the kind of magic we need. Ugh, why can't this be simpler?"

Severus had leaned back in his chair and seemed deep in thought. Both women looked at him and suddenly his head snapped up.

"Wait, Liz you said that your father often said Lily looked like your mother?" Petunia nodded.  
"But she didn't. Liz, I knew both your parents. You both have some of you father's features, but you look nothing like your mother and neither did Lily."

Petunia just stared at one then the other. But Narcissa looked relived. "We have a very simple way to find out if this is just coincidence or not. Sev, the lab has been restocked a few days ago. Brew a Genealogy Potion. Enough for Petunia and for Harry. Maybe this will be easier than I originally thought." As soon as Cissa had mentioned the lab, Sev was on his feet and out the door before she had finished the sentence.

"He seems...enthusiastic." A look passed between the two blondes and they started laughing hard. After a few minutes they caught their breath and Petunia asked: "What is this Genealogy Potion? How does it work? And why are you so quick to accept that there might be something you can find about my mother?"

"It's very simple. Sev will prepare two vials and we'll need seven drops of blood from you and Harry. Those will be added to the respective vials. Then we will let seven drops fall onto a sheaf of parchment. The potion will form a family tree. A complete one, knowing Sev's work. As for the acceptance.." Narcissa sighed.  
"You are about my age, so it's more fitting. It's very possible that your mother was a squib, or a pure- or half-blood witch that married a muggle. That was usually hushed up back in the day. And far more common than many people think.

"So you suspect we will find something to help us. What, that my mother was a witch? But she was just as surprised as all of us when Lily got her letter."

"Sev said that you look a bit like your father and nothing like your mother. Same with Lily. It might be possible, that that the mother you remember isn't your mother."

Petunia looked confused. "But why would my father keep that from us?"

Narcissa shrugged in reply. " If I'm right, you still must have been very young. Maybe he wanted to protect you, keep the painful memory away."

Petunia thought about this for a minute. "Yes, I suppose it's possible. Our father always tried to shield Lily and me from anything bad. It's too bad he passed away. I could have asked him." Again, Narcissa shrugged.

"Severus will have the potion ready in time for dinner. I've noticed something though. He calls you Liz. Why?"

"Oh that.." Petunia smiled a little. "Lily always called me 'Tuney'. As soon as Sev and I became friends, he started to call me 'Pet' and I hated it. We argued about it for a while and finally settled on Liz. My second name is Elizabeth, you know."

"Ooh, I have an idea!" Cissa's eyes sparkled happily. "Your maiden name is Evans, isn't it?" When Petunia nodded, Cissa continued. "My husband's family is distantly related to a family named Evans. The family lives in America, so no one could really say if you're one of them or not. We could just say that you moved to England because you want your son to have a British education. It's not so unusual. But we'd have to change his name. Dudley is too uncommon. Someone could get suspicious. Does he have a second name as well?"

"Narcissa that is brilliant. Would you really do that for us?"

"Of course, why not? It will be fun having another woman at the Manor. Except for little Sirena, I'm always surrounded by men and boys. So, does Dudley have a second name?"

Petunia nodded with a smile.

"Yes, he does. It's Oliver. To tell you the truth, I've never liked the name 'Dudley'. Vernon decided on it after my son was born and wouldn't hear a word against it."

Narcissa smiled lightly and covered Petunia's hand with hers. "And now, it will change, like many other things will. You and your child will become Elizabeth and Oliver Evans. Welcome to your new life, Liz."

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"Wow! These horses are huge!" Harry was absolutely awestruck when the little group reached the paddock. The Pegasi were magnificent creatures and very inquisitive. As soon as they heard the boy's voice, the winged horses came to the fence and sniffed at the child. Harry giggled and his eyes sparkled with glee.

"Father, Father! Can we go for a ride, please! Wait till you see me on Apollo, Harry! Riding him is so fun! Please, Father!" Draco was looking smug and pleading at the same time.

"Now, now, Draco. Mind your manners. You've ridden on Apollo with me many times. Shouldn't we ask Harry if he wants to ride?" The blond boy looked slightly disappointed, but then he smiled at Harry.  
"You'll love it. It's really fun!"

Harry looked a little afraid at the prospect of flying on such a big horse. "How about it, Harry? I promise, you won't fall down. You'd ride with me and I'll hold you tight. But you don't have to, if you don't like."

Harry looked down at his feet for a few minutes. _I'd like to ride on the flying horse. But it's so high up.. Would Draco's dad let me fall? He was so nice to me until now. Can I trust him?_

Suddenly the small boy's gaze met Lucius'. It was hard and challenging. Lucius realized in an instant that the boy did not yet trust him, which was understandable. It would take time, but judging on the effect that the magnificent pegasi had on other children, it was worth a try. He whistled sharply on two fingers.  
A beautiful, large Pegasus cantered toward them. His fur was brilliant white with a black mane, tail and hooves. Lucius set Harry on his hip, leaving the boy no time to protest, and conjured up two lumps of sugar, which he gave to Harry.

"Now, take the sugar and hold out your hand. Make sure your hand is flat, so he won't accidentally bite you." Harry did as he was told and laughed when the Pegasus sucked up the sugar and neighed happily.  
"Well done, Harry. Pet his neck, and then we can get up." Harry slid his little hand over Apollo's soft fur. _It's so smooth. Like Aunt Petunia's dresses. Such a pretty horse.  
_

Lucius set Harry back on his feet and summoned the saddle and reigns. He put them on his Pegasus and then grabbed the dark-haired boy under his arms and put him on Apollo's broad back, then got on himself. He placed his left arm around Harry and grabbed the reigns with his right. He clicked his tongue and Apollo started to trot, then sped up into a swift gallop.  
The mighty wings unfolded and when the Pegasus picked up speed he started to flap his wings and took off into the skies. Harry was silent when Apollo shot upward like a cork from a bottle, but as soon and giant wings spread out he let out a shout of joy. Lucius laughed as he steered his Pegasus through the sky and let him do some sharp turns. It was exhilarating.

Harry no longer cared if Mr. Malfoy held him or not, nor what would happen, should he fall down. The only thing he knew is that he never wanted to get off Apollo's back again. _This is so awesome! I'm _flying_!_

Sadly, after fifteen minutes, Mr. Malfoy shortened the reigns and Apollo flew back towards the ground. The grand beast landed gracefully and came to a halt near where they had started. Lucius slid of the Pegasus and lifted Harry off its back.

"So, Harry. Did you have fun?"

"Yes, sir! Flying is great! I wish I had wings!" The boy's cheeks were flushed with excitement and his eyes sparkled. Harry was always polite to Lucius, but the older man had noticed that the child always kept his distance. That seemed to have changed now.

"Well, I don't know about wings," Lucius started, "But you could fly with a broom."

At this Harry looked sceptical. "But brooms don't fly, they don't have wings."

Draco started laughing and Harry turned beet red. Apparently he had said something stupid, again.. Draco was his friend, why was he laughing like that.

Sirena looked like she wanted stomp on her blonde friend's foot but his father was faster.

"Draco! Stop laughing like a hyena. I thought Harry was your friend. It's not his fault, that he never heard of a flying broom." Draco looked ashamed at being chastied for being rude.

"I'm sorry, Harry," he mumbled to his feet, "I kind of forgot that you grew up muggle. I didn't want to be mean."

"'S'all right," Harry replied, "But what's a muggle?" Here Lucius inserted himself into the conversation again.

"We call someone without magical abilities a muggle. You, Draco and myself are wizards. Sirena is a witch. Muggles are generally unaware of wizards, unless they are related to one."

"So... My aunt and uncle knew?" the dark haired boy asked, in a timid voice. It was so easy to accept that magic was real in this house. The house elves, the moving (and to Harry's utter shock) talking portraits, and of course things like flying horses. It was so much easier to accept the impossible when everything around you _was _impossible.  
But that his strict caretakers knew this was real as well? It seemed impossible. Why had they never explained then.

"I'm.. not sure. We will discuss this later. There's a lot of factors at play that we haven't uncovered yet." Seeing that he was just confusing the boy, Lucius sighed.  
"I promise we will figure it out. Until then, rest assured that we know what you are and that you are accepted here. Now, how about we raid the kitchens and see if the house elves have some sweets for us?"

This was met by great enthusiasm by the children, effectively distracting them from Harry's uncomfortable question, which suited Lucius just fine. He enjoyed the time got to spend with his son and god-daughter, and now Harry as well. It was a stark contrast to his everyday business life.  
The Malfoy patriarch had a sneaking suspicion that taking in Harry would makes their lifes much more difficult, but also more rewarding.  
Time would tell.


End file.
